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School for Mothers, and in 1919 there were as many as 13 Centres at work in
the Borough. In 1914 the purely voluntary system was departed from by the
Treasury undertaking one-half of the approved expenditure of the Centres,
and in October, 1918, the Borough Council itself assumed responsibility
(subject to 50 per cent. grants from the Government) for (a) doctor's fees (b)
salaries of Superintendents and Health Visitors, and (c) the sums paid by the
Centres for the rent of their premises, and rates and taxes.
The co-ordination between the Council and the voluntary agencies is secured
by the composition of the Maternity and Child Welfare Sub-Committee, a
Sub-Committee of the Public Health Committee, which is the Maternity and
Child Welfare Committee, under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918,
subject to an instruction that it is to consider the Report of the Sub-Committee
before reporting to the Council on matters of Maternity and Child Welfare,
except in case of urgency. The Sub-Committee at the end of 1919 consisted
of 14 members of the Council, 18 representatives of Centres and Day Nurseries,
and seven other co-opted members. (The composition has since been altered
putting Council members in a majority). The Council is also represented by
two members on the Committee of each of the subsidized Centres, and the
Medical Officer of Health and members of his staff are also on nearly all of them.
There is close co-ordination between the office of the Medical Officer of
Health and the Centres. The visitors at the Centres carry out a considerable
part of the initial visiting following upon the notification of births, being
supplied by the Medical Officer of Health with case papers with the names and
addresses. Copies of these case papers are afterwards kept by the Medical
Officer of Health, and are entered up from time to time from the case papers
kept at the Centres. These records, with those of the Town Hall visitors,
enabled a card index file to be kept of all children whose births have been
notified in St. Pancras, and it is hoped to keep the records entered up until the
children reach school age. There is similar exchange between the Town Hall
and the Centres in regard to expectant mothers whose names are obtained
from University College Hospital and the Middlesex Hospital. There is
close co-operation also between the Town Hall and the Centres in connection
with the Council's scheme under the Milk (Mothers and Children) Order
referred to below.
In addition to Health Visiting and the Maternity and Child Welfare Centres
the Council's scheme also provides for (a) a Borough Dental Clinic for mothers
and young children (b) a Clinic for sick mothers and childien (c) the subsidization
of a home for ailing children under school age (d) the subsidization
of extern and intern midwifery (e) the provision of milk under the Milk
(Mothers and Children) Order, and (f) the subsidization of the four day
nurseries in the Borough. Home helps, home nursing of measles, whooping
cough and ophthalmia, and the provision of hospital accommodation are matters
which are dealt with by voluntary agencies. Reference is made below to
these various subjects.
Work Done During 1919.
Advice Cards.—Cards of advice have been posted to the mothers of all
infants where births have been notified. These give particulars in regard to
the Infant Welfare Centres, as well as advice in regard to the nurture of the